Yusufeli
Yusufeli offers an extraordinary, world-class white-water rafting, engineering marvel, and 10th-century Georgian cathedral experience. Its crowning natural attraction is the Çoruh River (Çoruh Nehri)—globally celebrated as one of the world's top 10 white-water rafting and canoeing rivers. Visitors can explore the new Yusufeli Dam Reservoir Lake, tour the 10th-century İşhan Cathedral with its carve
Tourist experience
Yusufeli offers an extraordinary, world-class white-water rafting, engineering marvel, and 10th-century Georgian cathedral experience. Its crowning natural attraction is the Çoruh River (Çoruh Nehri)—globally celebrated as one of the world's top 10 white-water rafting and canoeing rivers. Visitors can explore the new Yusufeli Dam Reservoir Lake, tour the 10th-century İşhan Cathedral with its carved stone domes and frescoes, or visit the historic Barhal Monastery. Gastronomy features organic Çoruh valley fruits, fresh river trout, and local mountain honey.
Key points of interest
Investment outlook
Yusufeli commands an impressive Transparent Investment Score of 91.2/100, recognized as Türkiye's premier hydroelectric energy, extreme river rafting eco-tourism, and master-planned relocated city real estate investment market. Driven by massive public infrastructure investment and rising lake-reservoir eco-tourism, residential and commercial properties in the new master-built city offer strong appreciation. Residential buy prices average $1,150/m² with rapid annual appreciation (~46.2% YoY in USD). All building stock is 100% brand-new post-2023 engineered construction.
Living here
Residing in relocated Yusufeli represents a unique, modern, safe, and highly structured lifestyle built on elevated valley hillsides overlooking the new dam lake. Neighborhoods feature brand-new master-planned apartment compounds, modern schools, government centers, and clean mountain air.
History & cultural identity
Yusufeli, set along the dramatic mountain gorges of the Çoruh River in southern Artvin, holds a monumental ancient Caucasian, 10th-century Bagratid Georgian, and hydroelectric engineering history. Serving in the 10th century as a royal cultural realm of the Kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti, the district is home to world-famous medieval stone cathedrals like İşhan Cathedral and Barhal (Altıparmak) Monastery. In 2023, Yusufeli entered a monumental new era with the completion of the Yusufeli Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant—Türkiye's highest dam (275m wall height) and the 5th highest in the world—which created a spectacular new lake reservoir and modern relocated master-planned city.
Frequently asked questions
What is the engineering record of Yusufeli Dam?+
Yusufeli Dam is Türkiye's highest dam and the 5th highest in the world, with a double-curvature concrete arch wall height of 275 meters.
What extreme water sport is Yusufeli world-famous for?+
Yusufeli is globally famous for white-water rafting and kayaking on the rushing Çoruh River, ranked among the world's top 10 rafting rivers.
How far is Yusufeli from Central Artvin and Erzurum?+
Yusufeli is located 70 kilometers south of Central Artvin and 130 kilometers north of Erzurum along a new highway.